Many food items, such as salad greens, are commonly prepared by washing them under a faucet and draining them using a perforated bowl such as a colander. Many vegetables, due to the size and curvature of their leaves, provide pockets which collect water. Such pockets, as well as the adhesion of water drops to the surfaces of leaves and stems, prevent or slow draining of water from the greens. Rapid shaking of the colander is not satisfactory as it tends to broadcast water in all directions. Additionally, some greens may fall from the colander and require rewashing. Placing the washed food items on absorbent paper or cloth is one solution, but is time-consuming and requires substantial counter space and absorbent material.
To overcome these difficulties, various washer/dewaterers for food items have been proposed. These devices typically include a rotatable perforated inner bowl for receiving the food items, an outer bowl rotatably holding the inner bowl, a top having an opening for receiving water, and a mechanism for spinning the inner bowl. It will be appreciated that such devices are relatively expensive, take up a large amount of storage space and require cleaning and drying after each use.